


it's nice to have a friend

by texasisalandlockedstate



Category: Avatar: The Last Airbender
Genre: Alternate Universe - College/University, Alternate Universe - High School, Alternate Universe - Modern Setting, Azula is a Mean Lesbian, Azutara Is Called Kazoola Now, Based on a Taylor Swift Song, Bisexual Sokka (Avatar), Drug Dealer Mai, Everyone Is Gay, Everyone smokes weed, F/F, Gay Zuko (Avatar), Glee References, Lesbian Azula (Avatar), M/M, Mentions of She-Ra, Mentions of Taylor Swift, Multi, No Smut, Nonbinary Toph Beifong, Ozai (Avatar) is an Asshole, Pansexual Katara, Platonic Sokkla, Rivals to Friends to Lovers, Slow Burn, idk - Freeform, platonic zutara, where are sokka and zuko's personalities?
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2020-12-26
Updated: 2021-01-11
Packaged: 2021-03-11 01:02:31
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 4
Words: 5,531
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/28326519
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/texasisalandlockedstate/pseuds/texasisalandlockedstate
Summary: school bell ringswalk me homesidewalk chalkcovered in snowlost my gloveyou give me onewanna hang outyeah sounds like funvideo gamesyou pass me a notesleeping in tentsit’s nice to have a friendit’s nice to have a friendlight pink skyup on the roofsun sinks downno curfewtwenty questionswe tell the truthyou’ve been stressed out latelyyeah me toosomething gaveyou the nerveto touch my handit’s nice to have a friendit’s nice to have a friendchurch bells ringcarry me homerice on the groundlooks like snowcall my bluffcall you babehave my backyeah everydayfeels like homestay in bedthe whole weekendit’s nice to have a friendit’s nice to have a friend
Relationships: Aang/Katara (Avatar), Azula & Zuko (Avatar), Azula/Katara (Avatar), Katara & Sokka (Avatar), Mai/Ty Lee (Avatar), Past Suki/Sokka (Avatar), Past Toph Beifong/Katara, Sokka/Zuko (Avatar), Suki/Yue (Avatar), Toph Beifong/Yaling
Comments: 16
Kudos: 50





	1. Chapter 1

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> azula moves in with zuko and sokka

_ “Don’t you get it? I  _ love  _ you! I always have! So  _ please, _ just this once, stay!” _

Sokka turned off the TV. Zuko was sobbing uncontrollably. 

“What was that for?!” Zuko hollered, “Is Adora going to die? You can’t just stop it like that!”

“She’s not gonna die, Zuko. Adora is  _ literally  _ the main character, and this is a children’s show,” Katara said. 

“Besides,” Sokka added, “I can’t focus on the show when you’re screaming at the TV like that.”

“Sokka you’ve literally seen this show  _ several _ times.”

“More like several hundred times!” Sokka retorted.

Zuko was still wiping tears off his face. “You guys just don’t _ understand _ .  _ I’ve  _ never seen this show. And I’m emotionally attached to it now, okay?” He blew his nose on a tissue.

“No shit,” Sokka shoved him playfully. “I knew you’d like it! I told you! You doubted me, but I proved you wrong, didn’t I!”

“Sokka stop. You’re only embarrassing yourself.”

“Neither of you can ever mention this to anybody.” Zuko seemed embarrassed to be watching a kids’ show, which personally offended Sokka.

“No promises,” Katara snorted. “I should probably get going. It’s already 11.”

“C’mon Katara. It’s a Friday night!” 

“I know. But I have a math test on Monday.” She stood up off of the couch and grabbed her jacket and keys. “I’ll probably see you guys again this weekend.”

“Wow. My little sister is so nerdy. Imagine actually, like,  _ doing school _ .”

“Goodnight Sokka,” She rolled her eyes and walked to the door. “‘Night, Zuko!”

Zuko pulled his blanket off of his head and glared up at his friend. 

“Okay. I’ll leave you to take care of all  _ that.  _ Bye.”

“‘Night sis!”

The door slammed shut.

“Turn the TV back on?” Zuko requested.

Sokka rolled his eyes and played the show. This hadn’t been the first time he’d told his boyfriend that they’re  _ going _ to be watching a show, and Zuko didn’t have a choice in the matter. Zuko always told him that the show either  _ looked cheesy _ ,  _ seemed boring,  _ or  _ was a children’s show _ , and then slowly became emotionally attached. So yeah, their relationship was going  _ pretty damn well _ in Sokka’s opinion. They’d become friends their junior year of high school, and Zuko and Sokka had moved in together when they started college. They started dating this previous summer, so it’d been about 5 months.

“ _ Though all is reduced to rubble, Prime shall rise again. So it has been, and so it always shall be.” _

“Wait!”

Zuko looked up, annoyed that Sokka had paused the show again. 

“We need popcorn!”

“There’s literally only like five minutes left of the entire show.”

“I know, but I’m hungry. How is it meant to be a satisfying ending if I’m hungry.”

Zuko rolled his eyes as Sokka got off the couch.

  
  
  


As Sokka expertly poured the popcorn kernels into a pot, he heard a knock on the door. He assumed that it was Katara because her knocking on their door at 11:15 pm was a pretty normal occurrence. She had probably forgotten her jacket or her keys or something. 

“Come in, it’s unlocked!” He yelled.

No one came in, so it definitely wasn’t Katara. Sokka walked over to the door and pulled it open to see a girl he didn’t know. She was a couple inches shorter than Sokka and seemed to be about Katara’s age, wearing a black hoodie pulled over her head and dark jeans that Sokka could tell, even in the dark, were expensive.

“Is Zuko here?” The girl asked. She looked tired.

“Uh...hi?” 

“Hello. Can I come in?”

“Who are you?”

“I’m Azula,” she answered.

“Azula, like Zuko’s little sister?” Zuko spoke about his family at the bare minimum and Sokka had only heard about Azula a few times. But the things he had heard… hadn’t exactly been good.

“Yes. Can’t you see the family resemblance?” She held her hand up over her right eye, mimicking her brother’s scar. Sokka glanced around awkwardly.

“It’s okay. You can laugh. It’s  _ funny.” _

Sokka looked at her blankly, and she gave out a long sigh, stepping past Sokka into the kitchen and glancing around.

“Nice place. It’s very...cozy,” she said, with a very specific tone in her voice that made Sokka shift uncomfortably. “So, aren’t you going to introduce yourself?”

“I’m Sokka? Zuko’s… roommate?”

Azula raised an eyebrow.

“Not to be rude or anything, but why are you here?” Sokka asked, trying to change the subject.

“I need a place to stay,” she said nonchalantly. 

“Wait, did something- did something happen? Zuko told me that his father can be- ”

“Don’t be absurd, Sokka.” Azula scoffed at him. “Anyway, where’s my room?”

“I don’t understand, how did you know where we live?”

“Zuko gave me his address when you first moved here, ‘just in case’. He was trying to be a good protective older brother or something. Put this in my closet, please,” she said, shoving a large backpack into his arms.

Sokka didn’t know what to say. He didn’t want to turn her away, because she was only, what, 17? And he knew that Zuko’s home life wasn’t great, to say the least. He was kicked out when he was 16, and he had a huge scar on his face which Sokka assumed was related in some way. Zuko didn’t like to talk about his childhood, so Sokka never really brought it up. 

“I’m gonna go get Zuko from the other room and we can talk about it.”

Sokka left Azula in the kitchen, yelling “I trust you not to start a fire!” and opened the door to Zuko sitting on the couch, looking at his phone. Scrolling through She-Ra Twitter, undoubtedly.

“Did you know that Noelle Stevenson and theiri wife make a cameo in Princess Prom?” Zuko asked, not looking up from his phone.

“Yes Zuko. Of course, I knew that. Do you think I’m like, not a She-Ra stan or something?”

“Did you know Catra’s full name is Catra Applesauce Meowmeow?”

“Zuko. Stop distracting me.”

“What?”

“There’s someone here to see you.” Sokka took a breath, “I think it’s your sister.”


	2. Chapter 2

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> azula's here now i guess

Azula sat in the small kitchen for a moment before Zuko and his roommate came back in. She’d only seen her brother a couple of times since he was kicked out, which was close to impossible to avoid because they lived so close to each other and Zuko kept in touch with Azula’s closest friends. 

As unfortunate as it may seem, there wasn’t a better place for Azula to stay in her current situation. Ty lee lived in a sorority, although she almost was never there considering the fact that she was usually with Mai. Mai lived in her parent’s basement, and Azula would rather rip off her 

“Oh.  _ Wow.  _ I didn’t think that was- hm.” 

“As much as I’d like to catch up, Zuzu, I’m tired _.  _ It’s been a long day,” Azula interrupted in an attempt to change the subject. “I can take the couch. For  _ tonight.  _ I’m going to go use your shower.” 

As confused as Zuko and Sokka looked, that interaction had gone particularly well. It was extremely short and vague which made everything surprisingly easy. 

  
  
  
  
  


Sokka beckoned Zuko to the other room. “Zuko! Are you going to let her stay here!” He whisper-yelled. 

“What am I supposed to do! She’s my sister, and I can’t just- I told her she could stay with us, okay?”

“Yeah, you also told  _ me _ that Azula was crazy!”

“You don’t have to whisper, she’s not even in this room.” Zuko put his head in his hands, because he was always dramatic like that. “She probably won’t be here for long, I can get her to stay with Mai or someone.”

“In Mai’s parents’ basement with her?”

Zuko looked up at his boyfriend. “Please, just give her a chance, okay?”

Sokka only wanted the best for Zuko, and it was for that reason that he didn’t want Zuko’s little sister -little sister who had frequently been called a psychopath- living with them. 

“Fine.”

“Thank you. And I promise,” Zuko shot a knowing look at Sokka, “it will only be for a little while. Just to get her life back on track.”

  
  
  
  
  
  
  


Azula woke up the next morning to find a note from Zuko and Sokka saying they’d gone to their friend’s place (pretty rude of them, weren’t they going to make her breakfast or anything?) and about 60 messages from Mai and Ty Lee. 

**myfriendisnotadrugdealer:** azulaaa

**myfriendisnotadrugdealer:** answer meeee

**iamnotadrugdealer:** @myinstagramaccount

What. **:myinstagramaccount**

I just woke up.  **:myinstagramaccount**

**myfriendisnotadrugdealer:** are you okay??

Yes. I’m not in the best mood.  **:myinstagramaccount**

I’m at my brother’s house. I’m pretty sure his boyfriend hates me.  **:myinstagramaccount**

**iamnotadrugdealer:** sokka doesn’t have enough brain cells to hate anyone🙄

They left me here to go to their friend’s house.  **:myinstagramaccount**

**iamnotadrugdealer:** oh no they definitely hate you **🙄**

**myfriendisnotadrugdealer:** don’t say things like that mai

**myfriendisnotadrugdealer:** that’s rude

**myfriendisnotadrugdealer:** anyways do you want us to come pick you up azula? it might help to go do something fun

No. **:myinstgramaccount**

**myfriendisnotadrugdealer:** okay azula

**myfriendisnotadrugdealer:** lmk if you need anything!!

**myfriendisnotadrugdealer:** ily

OK **. :myinstragramaccount**

**iamnotadrugdealer:** we’ll talk to u later

  
  


Azula set her phone on the table beside the couch. She walked over to a wall of photos in the hallway. They were mostly the same 6 or 7 people, most of which she vaguely recognized from Zuko’s social media. Mai and Ty Lee were in some of them, too. Traitors. Some of the photos Zuko and Sokka weren’t even in, they were just pictures taken of their friends in various locations. Azula didn’t understand why someone would put up photos that they weren’t in, but she went along with it. She scanned her eyes over the various memories. This one girl, who recurred in a lot of the photos, stood out to Azula for whatever reason. She was pretty, really pretty -Azula had the self confidence to admit that. It was safe to assume she was Sokka’s sister because she looked pretty similar to him and they were together in most of the photos.

  
  
  


Sokka and Zuko came back later than Azula expected. 

“Back so soon,” she called out to them from her place on their couch.

“We left you a note.” Zuko was carrying a large paper bag which he placed on the counter and started unpacking food out of. 

“Well, why did it take you so long. You kept me waiting for you.”

Sokka gestured to the bag as Zuko handed him a few cans. “We stopped for groceries. For food. For  _ you _ .” 

“ _ Well _ , we need to talk about this. Because I expect to be made breakfast, at least.”

Zuko turned to her. “You didn’t eat breakfast? Azula, it’s past one o’clock. You know you can take anything from our fridge right?”

Azula stared at him blankly. “Yes, of course, I have no problem taking your food. I’ve just never, um. Do you really expect me to cook my own food?”

“She can’t- !” Sokka threw his hands up, but stopped when Zuko shot him a look. The two of them exchanged glances over her head, none of which she could interpret. 

“Of course I  _ can  _ cook. Don’t be ridiculous.” Azula couldn’t have them thinking she was incapable of anything.

Zuko narrowed his eyebrows at her. “When was the last time you cooked?”

She held his gaze. “Not  _ too _ long ago. When, um, we did that cooking class! That father signed us up for, remember?”

“Azula that was more than ten years ago! And you burnt everything!”

“Let’s not waste time discussing whether or not I can cook. It’s a stupid thing to talk about, anyways,” Azula said very quickly, avoiding eye contact.

“Alright, then let’s talk about where you’re going to finish the school year.” Zuko sat down on their couch, beckoning her to sit next to him. What the fuck. He wasn’t a therapist. Sokka kept putting away the groceries. “You can’t afford to stay in private school, and you’re going to want to start applying to colleges soon, right? Do you know what your major will be?” 

“I already have a major. In bullying and harassment,” Azula grinned to herself. Zuko glared at her. 

“Northeast is close. Me and Zuko went there!” Zuko’s  _ lover _ added, unhelpfully. “Our friends, Toph and  Aang go there too. Oh, and my sister does.”

“Well, I suppose I could see what this  _ public school  _ business is all about,” the words felt weird in her mouth. 

Zuko looked shocked.

“Oh please, Zuzu, don’t be so surprised. I can make good decisions, you know. But if it’s pointless, I’m not going to go anymore.”

“That’s great, Azula! You should look into enrolling later today.” Zuko seemed to have pretty low expectations of her. Probably a good move on his part, but still. 

“Yeah. I will.” Maybe she  _ could  _ be responsible. 


	3. Chapter 3

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> kazoola meets

Turns out Zuko was actually taking this school thing seriously. The next after their discussion, he had already registered her. It was the following Monday, and Azula was starting today. Zuko had apparently asked one of his friends whose name Azula didn’t remember to show her around. She also had to go to the counselor’s office when she got to school to get her schedule.

Azula had never been to a public school before. She’d spent the entirety of her school career at an extremely expensive all girls private school. She wasn’t unaware of the major differences of public school. Azula had grown up watching the normal TV shows and movies, and reading the same sort of books that every other girl had. They usually had to have that (not very) relatable school setting, which she wasn’t sure was a very accurate portrayal of the public school system until she had the absolute  _ delight _ of hearing other teens complain about it on the internet. Although she had never been in this specific environment, Azula was quite confident that she would quickly become very well liked among her teachers and peers. 

One of the many advantages of private school was that Azula didn’t have to pick out an outfit everyday, courtesy of the uniform. She ended up wearing something that looked pretty similar to a school uniform; tan khaki pants and a black polo shirt, buttoned up all the way to her neck. She wore her hair up, as she usually does.

Azula walked out into the kitchen to find Zuko staring at his phone and Sokka drinking  _ milk _ .  _ Plain.  _

“Morning, Azula,” Zuko said.

“What the  _ hell _ is this imbecile doing?”

“What do you mean?” Sokka asked.

“What is that you’re drinking?”

“Uh… milk?”

“What kind of milk? Soy? Almond? Oat? Coconut?”

He looked down at his cup in confusion. “...Cow?”

“You disgusting piece of filth! How  _ dare _ you?!”

“Are you a vegan or something?” Sokka, rather embarrassingly for him, didn’t seem to care about his  _ issues. _

“What? No. Of course not. Why would you ever think something like that? I’m not. Drinking milk alone is completely unacceptable, however. You are not a  _ child _ , Sokka. Have some dignity and self respect. And don’t get me started on the taste and consistency of it. It’s so… phlegmy!” Azula shook her head and tried to push the thought of milk out of it, to no avail. “Back me up here, brother. You should be ashamed to be in a relationship with this  _ milk drinker.”  _

Zuko shrugged.

“Hey, I like milk. Do not milk-shame me.”

“Cow boobs,” Azula said, glaring at Sokka.

“Azula, let’s go. You’re going to be late for school,” Zuko said, pulling her out the door.

“You know, this isn’t something that you should have a strong opinion about!” Sokka called out to her as they left.

“Of course a milk drinker would say that!”

  
  
  


“I like your outfit, Azula,” Zuko mentioned on the car ride to school. 

“What else do you expect me to wear to school. They’re school clothes,” she answered, rather defensively. 

“Well, public school’s a bit different. But you’ll get used to it.”

“Don’t get all wise and advice-y on me, brother,” she said, not even half as vigorously as she usually spoke. She gazed out at the snow on the road and immediately grew self conscious of the wool sweater vest under her thick snow jacket. 

“I asked my friend to show you around, by the way,” Zuko added.

“I appreciate the sentiment, but I think I can find my own way around, thank you very much.”

“Will you at least go and introduce yourself to her?” Zuko rolled his eyes. “And please don’t be rude to her.”

“Fine. But I can’t promise that I won’t be rude to her.”

Azula looked to the seat behind her and saw a beige cardigan clumped in the corner. She reached back and grabbed. “Can I wear this?”

Zuko glanced at the garment in her hand. “That’s Sokka’s. I’m sure it’s fine as long as you give it back.”

  
  


Azula arrived at Northeast at 8 o’clock on the dot. Thank god Zuko hadn’t made her late, she couldn’t have everyone thinking she was a slacker on her first day. 

She was horrified by how dirty the building was. Was that-  _ gum _ ?  _ Disgusting _ . She would have to file a complaint. 

Azula made her way to a room she supposed was the library- although it only had a few puny rows of disorganized books. Azula immediately recognized the girl sitting at a desk in the back as Sokka’s sister. She was wearing high waisted jeans and a flowery top -seemed a bit too casual for school- and carrying a large stack of books. She seemed to be organizing the shelves, sliding books back into their places and switching them around. Azula knew that she shouldn’t stare, but couldn’t take her eyes off of her. 

Sokka’s sister noticed Azula, who averted her eyes and checked her phone. The girl rushed over. 

“Are you Azula? Sorry, I wasn’t expecting you here so early. Want to sit down? Actually class might start soon, should I-”

“Yeah I’m Azula. Who the fuck are you?”

The girl raised her eyebrows, her blue eyes widening. “Um, I’m Katara. Sokka’s sister? Zuko asked me to show you around.”

Azula dramatically sighed, rolling her eyes. “Well tell my brother I don’t need anyone to show me around. I’m fine on my own.”

Katara put her hands on her hips and looked Azula up and down.

m

“Listen to me,  _ Azula _ , I don’t know what you’re trying to do, but please just shut up with this ‘cool girl’ shit. Zuko asked me to  _ help you _ . I agreed to do something _ nice for someone else.  _ I guess that’s a concept you don’t understand, so maybe you should work on your manners before interacting with other people, okay?” 

Azula regained her composure quickly. “Someone woke up on the wrong side of the bed this morning,” she laughed. 

Katara stared at her. “Are you really not taking me seriously?” She turned away from Azula, back to the bookshelves.

Azula took a breath, then walked over to Katara.

“Jesus, why do you hate me so much?” 

“I don’t  _ hate _ you,” Katara muttered, then, turning to face Azula, “I don’t even know you.”

Azula propped her arm up on the bookshelf, leaning against it. Several books immediately fell down on the other side of the shelf, and she stood back up, asserting herself. Katara laughed, covering her mouth when Azula glared at her. 

“Haha, very funny.” Azula rolled her eyes, “even the best of us trip sometimes. I should know, I am the best of us. Well, I used to be the best, but then everything went wrong,” she sighed. “But I am the best of  _ us.  _ As in the two of us, that is. And I’m better than your  _ milk drinking  _ brother.”

“Wow, you really have a talent for ruining the moment. I think we both know that you’re not better than me.” Katara smirked, raising an eyebrow. 

“What moment?! There was  _ no _ moment!” Azula said defensively. She lowered her voice, because she was getting some weird looks from the librarian. “I don’t even know what you would be referring to. “I think you’re reading this situation incorrectly. I don't want to be your  _ friend  _ or anything else.”

Katara studied her face. “Yeah, we don’t have to be friends. But you’re being rude for literally no reason. Can we at least  _ try _ to get along? You live with my brother and your brother is one of my closest friends.”

“Well, that would be okay I guess. But  _ only  _ because it’s the logical thing to do, and it would be the most tolerable for me,” Azula informed her. “Anyways, since you  _ did _ agree to show me around, the least you could do is walk me to room…” Azula looked down at her schedule. “Room B32.”

“Yeah, alright Azula. Let’s go.”

  
  
  
  
  
  


Outside the door to Azula’s class, Katara seemingly tried to attempt small talk, since they had a few minutes before school started, and Katara’s first period was right across the hall.

“So, you like Taylor Swift?”

“Is that code for something?” Azula answered cautiously.

Katara threw her head back and laughed. Being laughed at had never felt nice before, it was strange. 

“No, your cardigan.”

She took a look at the beige cardigan and noticed a patch reading “Folklore” on her chest. Of course. 

“This is embarrassing, Katara, but I have enough dignity to spare. To be completely honest with you I didn’t know this was a Taylor Swift thing. My brother made me embarrassed about my outfit on the way to school this morning and I took this from the back of his car. I think it’s Sokka’s,” she told her.

“Gotcha. But you should consider getting into some of her music.”

“I could see myself potentially considering that,” she looked at the time on her phone stiffly. “I should go in now. Thank you for showing me around.”

“No problem.”

“We’re still not friends!” Azula added, just to make sure it was clear.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> dedicated to my friend jorl, a m*lk drinker


	4. Chapter 4

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> they hang out at school, mai and ty lee are planning *something*

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> hi yall, sorry i didn't update sooner, turns out school exists and i actually have to do it or something. anyway enjoy the chapter.
> 
> discord username guide:
> 
> my???isadrugdealer: ty lee  
> moonlesbian: yue  
> vehicularmanslaughter: suki  
> mai420: mai  
> Zuko: zuko  
> Aang!: aang  
> mydiscordaccount: azula  
> paperringsbytaylorswift: sokka

Katara got out of her Subaru and stepped out onto the icy school parking lot. She sipped from her thermos of tea between her fingerless gloves Sokka had knit for her. 

  
“Hi, Katara!” Aang called out to her, walking with her to class. Toph walked behind him. 

“Good morning, Aang,” Katara said, rolling her eyes a little bit at his oversized hoodie and grandpa-hat. 

“You look tired.”

“Wow, thanks Toph. You always know the right thing to say,” Katara muttered. “But yeah, I didn’t sleep very well last night. It feels like the week should already be over, but it’s only Tuesday.”

“Have you talked to Zuko?” Aang asked.

“No, not since Sunday. I can’t imagine that he’s doing great though. Azula is… a lot.”

Toph took one of their earbuds out. “Katara, stop thirsting over Azula. I was supposed to read this book for English and I’m nowhere near finished, so I have to listen to this audiobook today. I can finish it by fifth period if you fuckheads stop distracting me.”

Katara blushed at their comment. “Toph, how do they expect you to read? Also, we’ve talked about cursing. Not in front of Aang!”

Aang nodded, “Yeah, aren’t you, y’know,” he whispered, “ _ blind? _ ”

“I have my ways.” They put their earbud back in. 

“Katara, do you want to hear about the dream I had last night?” Aang said as they walked towards the building.

“Sure,” she replied. She pretended to pay attention as Aang ranted about his dream. They made their way down the hallway to where Toph and Aang would stop to go to their first period.

“Have a good day, sweetie!” Aang called. 

“You too!” Katara turned the corner. 

Azula was already standing by the door to her first-period classroom. 

“Who were they?” she asked, sounding vaguely threatening. Her outfit had changed drastically from yesterday when she looked like an eight-year-old boy in a school uniform. Her style was really...out there. Katara couldn’t tell if she was trying to make a statement or if she was picking out random articles of clothing and throwing them over each other. Today she was wearing a red button-up shirt, with a blue plaid skirt and a pair of jeans underneath. 

“My friends Toph and Aang,” Katara replied. 

“Are you and Aang dating?” Azula asked, narrowing her brow.

“He seems to think so,” Katara muttered.

“He’s very… tiny. And bald,” Azula stated, and then she walked into the classroom, leaving Katara looking after her. 

  
  
  
  


The hallways at Northeast were so humiliating to walk through, for Azula. To be completely honest, she wasn’t at all interested in becoming friends with anyone here.  _ It’s difficult to be friends with someone you don’t have respect for or someone you consider greatly inferior to yourself _ , Azula thought.

“Hi!” A high-pitched, nasally voice that sounded like a baby shook Azula out of her thoughts. It was that boy Katara totally wasn’t dating. 

She sighed. “What do you want,  _ Oong _ ?”

“My name is Aang!” He said cheerfully, “and I thought we could be friends!”

“Why would you think that  _ I _ would want to be friends with a prepubescent bald thirteen-year-old?”

“I’m sixteen! How old are you?” Aang seemed to lack basic self-awareness. 

Azula rolled her eyes, “I’m 30,” she deadpanned.

Aang’s eyes widened. “Woah! Why are you still in high school?”

“Why are you still talking to me?” Azula continued walking down the hallway, trying to tune out the child’s existence.

“Do you want to sit with me and Toph and Katara at lunch?”

“I think you mean ‘Toph, Katara, and I’.”

Aang looked confused. “Anyway, do you wanna?”

Azula considered it. Refusing to spend time with her roommate and brother’s friends was nothing but delaying the inevitable. It was only 45 minutes, and Zuko and Sokka seemed to think that she would get along well with Toph. Besides, it would simply be a strategic move: it was good planning to make allies in unfamiliar territory.

“Very well.”

“Really? Cool, come with me!”

Azula was already regretting this, but she followed Aang to a round table where Katara and Toph sat. Katara looked surprised at her appearance. 

“Are you Azula?” Toph asked. Her feet were up on the table, very rudely, Azula thought.

“Yes. Are you Toph?” Azula reached her hand out to shake Toph’s. They didn’t move a muscle. Toph seemed very rude, and that is coming from someone who would probably describe themselves as rude. 

“Oh, right, I forgot that you can’t see.” The discourtesy was almost compulsory, like something that came naturally to her. Azula laughed uncomfortably to herself. 

Everyone stared at her.

“Sorry,” she said quietly, somewhat embarrassed, sitting down next to Katara.

Katara immediately looked at her, smiling, which made Azula uncomfortable. “What are your pronouns?”

“Lesbian,” Azula said instinctively, holding steady eye contact with the girl across the table.

“What?” Katara raised her eyebrows, trying to contain her laugh. 

“Oh, um. She/her.”

Katara frantically scribbled on a pin, then handed it to Azula. 

“ _ Azula, She/Her, _ ” it read.

“Do you really expect me to wear this?”

Toph laughed, “She makes all of us wear them,” they pointed to their own pin.  _ Toph, they/them, Aang, he/him, Katara, she/her. _ “Trust me, you’re not gonna get out of this one. I appreciate it, though. Katara’s a good friend.” Toph punched Katara’s arm.

“Awww,” Katara made a kissy face at Toph, who punched her again. “Ow. Toph!”

Azula hesitantly put the pin on her shirt. 

“Thank you, Azula,” Katara said. Azula nodded.

Everyone’s phone dinged, within a few seconds of each other. Azula pulled out her phone. Apparently, she had been added to a discord group chat by Ty Lee.

  
  


**my???isnotadrugdealer:** EMERGENCY

**moonlesbian:** ???

**vehicularmanslaughter:** go on…

**my???isnotadrugdealer:** it’s too important to say over dm

**Aang!:** whats going on? should i b worried

**mai420:** that’s a great question aang, thank you for asking. yes, you should be worried. that’s why ty lee said it was an emergency. please, everyone, meet us @ The Jasmine Dragon at 6 pm tonight. it’s definitely more important than anything else that could be going on for any of you. 

  
  


Azula rolled her eyes. Mai and Ty Lee were dramatic, to say the least. She’d known them for as long as they’d known each other, but the difference between them and her was that Azula was an independent person. Mai and Ty Lee were not. They practically lived together in Mai’s parent’s basement, since Ty lee hated the sorority that she only joined to make Mai jealous. Azula didn't have a best friend, she definitely didn’t want to be part of  _ that. _ Mai and Ty Lee were inseparable, and she didn’t really know how to describe their relationship.

“What the fuck is going on?” Toph blurted. Katara summarized the messages to Toph, who had her own phone which was pretty confusing to Azula. 

**vehicularmanslaughter:** okayy then

**Zuko:** btw who’s @mydiscordaccount

**mai420:** that’s ur sister smh

**mydiscordaccount:** I can’t help but be a little bit offended, Zuzu.

**Zuko:** azula!

**Zuko:** don’t text during class

**mydiscordaccount:** ugh don’t be such a milk drinker

**Aang!:** what?

**paperringsbytaylorswift:** again with the milk hate wtf

**mydiscordaccount:** sokka why are you alive

  
  


“Alrighty then!” Katara looked up at them, “Let’s all just get off our phones, shall we? Seems like it’s time for, um, a  _ break. _ ”

“Alright, mom,” Azula replied, shoving her phone against the table. “You know, I don’t know how you even  _ found _ Mai and Ty Lee, but this is what you signed up for. I guess I’ll go if they buy me dinner,” she smirked.

Katara shot Azula a pointed look. “Mai and Ty Lee are my  _ friends.  _ I thought they were your friends, too. I would think that we would go to  _ support _ them.”

Azula rolled her eyes. “Whatever. It’s probably not important anyway, knowing them.”

The pair glared at each other.

Toph interrupted the silence, “Oh no, she’s giving you the you're-being-unnecessarily- rude-and-I-disapprove-and-will-make-it-my-life-goal-to-fix-your-mental-issues face, isn’t she.” They shook their head, tsking. “Been there too many times.”

Azula smirked.

“We should probably get going,” Aang said, trying to break up the argument like a little bitch. “Class is gonna start soon. By the way, I love your style, Azula, where did you get that shirt?”

Azula scowled, shoving him.

  
  
  
  
  
  
  


“I need new clothes.” Azula leaned across the kitchen table at her brother, who was doing dishes.  _ Jesus, is that all these people ever do? _

Zuko wiped his hands on a dishtowel -a most definitely  _ dirty _ dishtowel- and faced her. “What?”

“Katara’s friend  _ Oong _ complimented my clothing.”

“You mean Aang?”

“Sure, whatever you want to call him.”

“What’s wrong with him complimenting your clothing? He’s just being nice-”

“Zuzu, like always, you don’t understand. I have a  _ reputation.  _ I can’t have it ruined by some _ bald _ boy. I need new clothes.”

Zuko laughed, raising his eyebrows.  _ Laughed.  _ “Okay. I can talk to Sokka about it if you want?”

Azula considered this. “Sokka? Really? Well yes, I suppose he is the fashionable one in your relationship. You’re worse at dressing than I am.”

“Did you just… insult… yourself? That’s a big step for you, Azula.”

“Aang liked my outfit.  _ Clearly _ , I’m doing something wrong.”

“Why do you hate Aang so much?” Zuko looked at her suspiciously.

“Well...you know. He’s really overly optimistic and friendly. Also, he’s tiny and bald.”

“When I first met him, he made me insecure because I felt like he was a better person than me, and I was kind of jealous of him,” he said as if he was suggesting something.

“Well, that’s unfortunate that you would think that Aang is better than you. Thinking Toph, or, Katara or someone is better than you...well that could be possible. But Aang?” Azula continued, “You don’t need to psychoanalyze the fact that I hate him. I dislike him a reasonable amount for the way he is, Zuko,” Azula finished defensively.

“Okay… well Sokka and I are leaving for Mai and Ty Lee’s thing in like 20 minutes.”

“I know. I’m coming, aren’t I?”

“Yeah, that’s actually what I was about to ask you. I’m going to go get ready.”

  
  
  


Azula was still adjusting to her newfound freedom in her style. She didn’t want to dress the way her father or school would want her to, so she had recently been doing some experimenting. 

Azula had brought her suitcase into the bathroom with her, where she spent a lot of her time since she didn’t have a bedroom of her own. She was completely rationalized in doing so, she would sit in the bathtub with her pillow and blanket and do homework when Sokka or her brother were being particularly irritating. Never did Azula imagine that she would be living in a one-bedroom apartment sleeping on an air mattress during her senior year.

She decided on wearing something less out there, a black button-up shirt and blue jeans. She pinned up half of her hair. 

Azula looked into the mirror, admiring her outfit and adjusting it at spots. 

“Let’s go,” Azula muttered to herself. 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> okay so i'm going to take a hiatus for winter atla femslash week, in the first week of february. i'll update again... whenever i feel like it, but probably not before then. tysm for reading y'all, your comments make my day!!

**Author's Note:**

> tysm for reading! i'll update again this week  
> edit; i used olive garden as place holder for the restaurant they were going to because it was in my brain at the time- that is embarrassing. i fixed it though so we’re good:)


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